Pneumatic-despatch apparatus.



No. 742,516. PATENTBD 00127, 1903.'-

0. F.-S'I,'0,DDARD-. l v PNEUMATIC DBSPATCH APPARATUS. APPLIdATm FILEDMuga, 1903.

WIT NESQSES v Y I VEN-TOR. y @xm mam 1,( WCM f 'ATTORNE ,L

No. P)712516. p

UNITED STATES CHARLES F.'STODDARD, OF

Tatented October 27, 1903i.

nosToN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To AMERICAN PNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY,OF DOVER, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PN EU MATlC-DESPATCH APPARATUS.

sPE'crmcA'rIoN forming part of 'Letras Patent No. 742,516, @atta october2v, 190e. Application tiled May 28,1903. Serial No. 159,064. (No model.)

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. STODDARD, of Boston, in the county ofSuolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pneumatic-Despatch Apparatus, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to new and useful irnprovements in terminals forpneumatic-de-` spatch apparatus, and especially to such apparatuswherein large carriers are used for the transmissionof mail-matter andmerchandise.

The object of my invention is to produce a terminal simple inconstruction and efficient in operation.

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodyingmy invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the terminalwith the parts in position to receive a carrier. Fig. 2 is a similarview through the terminal after a carrier has been received and is beingdischarged.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the views. v

The main transmission-tube A is located in alinement with thecompression-chamber A2 of the terminal and beyond the slotted casing A',through which the pressure passes into the return-tube A3. Located onthe upper side of the compression-chamber A2 is the cylinder D4,connected with the compressionchamber A2 by the pipe C5, and locatedwithin said cylinder is the piston D2, connected `by the rod D3 with thepiston-valve D', which in turn is connected by the rod D5`to the rod D7by the beveled joint D5. The rod D7 is pivotally connected tothe nger D8at E, and this linger D8 swings on the bracket E2, to which it ispivotally connected at E', and this finger Ds normally extends into thepath of travel of the discharging carrier, as shown in dotted lines,Fig. 2. The air supplied for operating the inner and outer gates B andB2 in the terminal enters through the pipe C into the valve-casing D andis conveyed into the top of the inner and outer cylinders Bi and B5 bythe pipes C C2 and operates the pistons B4 B7, to which are respectivelyconnected the gates B and B2 by the pistonrods B5 and B. The carriercoming into the compression-chamber A2 is brought to a stop by thecompression of the air in front of-it as the gate D2 is closed.

This pressure passes by the pipe C6 into the cylinder D4 and forces thepiston D2 to the left of the cylinder D4,'as shown in Fig. 2. Thismovement of the piston D2 moves the piston-valveD from the positionshown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 and also brings the iinger downinto the position shown in fulllines, Fig. 2. v The air-supply enteringthe valve-casing D through the pipe C then passes through the pipe C,then passes through the pipe C' to the upper side of the piston B4 inthe cylinder B5, and closes the gate B. As the piston'B4 reaches the'lower end of the cylinderV B(3 it passes the port P, which admits thepressure to the under side of the piston B7 in the cylinder B5 throughthe pipe C4. This pressure raises the`piston B7 to the upper end of thecylinder B5, causing the raising of the gate B2, which is connected tothe piston B7 by the rod B. Aportion of the pressure from theline Apasses through the port P2 in the gate B into the chamber A2 back of thecarrier and forces the carrier out of the chamber' A2 ont'o the tableA4. In this position of the parts; Fig. 2, the linger B2 is in the pathof the carrier,which strikes it as it comes onto the table A4 after ithas passed the outer gate B2. The finger D8 is moved from the positionshown in full lines Fig. 2 to that shown in full lines Fig. l by thecarrier which moves the piston-valve from the position shown in Fig. 2to that shown in Fig. 1, thereby opening the pipe C' to the atmospheretoallow the pressure in it and the cylinder B6 to exhaust to theatmosphere. The pressure from the pipe C then passes through the pipe C2into the cylinder B5 above the piston B7 and forces it down into theposition shown in Fig. 1. As the piston B7 reaches the lower end of thecylinder B5 it passes the port P and allows the pressure on the upperside of the piston B7 to pass through the pipe C3 to the under side ofthe piston B4 in the cylinder B, thereby raising the piston B4 to theposition shown in Fig. l, which places the apparatus in position toreceive another carrier. The pipe C5, connected to the cylinder D4, isfor the purpose of balancing the piston D2 when the machine is not inoperation. A9 is a suitable buEer to stop the carrier when it reachesthe end of the table A4.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as thesame may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth aconstruction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In au apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gateclosing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a pistonconnected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating saidpistons, communication between said cylinders and said source ofair-pressu re, a valve for opening and closing said communication toeach cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by tho pressure in thetube for normally closing communication between said source ofcompressed air and the inner cylinder, and a connection between theinner cylinder and the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from theouter cylinder to the inner cylinder to open the inner gate after theouter gate is closed.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal com-,

municating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same,an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to saidgates, a source of air-pressure for operating said pistons,communication between said cylinders and said source of air-pressure, avalve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinderalternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normallyclosing communication between said source of com pressed air and theinner cylinder, mechanism operated by air compressed by the carrier foroperating said valve to open communication between said source ofcompressed air and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and toclose communication between said source of compressed air and the outercylinder to open the outer gate, and a connect-ion between the innercylinder and the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from the outercylinder' to the inner cylinder to open the inner gate after the outergate is closed.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gateclosing the same, an inner and an outercyliuder each having a pistonconnected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating saidpistons, communication between said cylinders and said source ofair-pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to eachcylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube fornormally closing commu nication between said source of compressed airand the inner cylinder, and connections between said cylinders forleading the pressure therefrom alternately to one another.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gateclosing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a pistonconnected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating saidpistons, communication between y said cylinders and said sourceotair-pressure,

a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinderalternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube fornormallyclosing communication between said source of compressed air andthe inner cylinder, mechanism operated by air compressed by the carrierfor operating said valve to open communication between said source ofcompressed air and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and toclose communication between said source of compressed air and the outercylinder to open the outer gate, and a connection between the innercylinder and the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from the innercylinder to the outer cylinder after the inner gate is closed to openthe outer gate.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gateclosing the same, au inner and an outer cylindereach having apistonconnected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating saidpistons, communication between said cylinders and said source ofair-pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to eachcylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube fornormally closing communication between said source of compressed air andthe inner cylinder, mechanism operated by air compressed bythe carrierlfor operating said Valve to open communication between said source ofcompressed air and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and toclose communication between said source of compressed air and the outercylinder to open the outer gate, a connection between the inner cylinderand the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from the inner cylinderto the outer cylinder after the inner gate is closed to open the outergate, and a connection between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinderfor leading the pressure from said outer cylinder to said inner cylinderafter the outer gate is closed to open the inner gate.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal coinmunicating with said tube, an inner and an IOO IIO

. gate, and a outer gate closing Ithe same, an inner and an outercylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source ofair-pressure for operating said pistons, communication between saidcylinders and 'said source of airpressure, a valve tor opening andclosing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanismoperated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communicationbetween said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, mechanismoperated by air compressed by the carrier for'operating said valve toopen communication between said source of compressed air andthe innercylinder to close the inner gate and to close communication between saidsource of compressed air and the outer cylinder to open the outerconnection between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder for leadingthe pressure from the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder after theinner gate is closed to open the outer gate, thesaid inner gate havingan opening through which pressure passes and drives the carrier from theterminal.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gateclosing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a pistonconnected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating saidpistons, communication between said cylinders and said source ofairpressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to eachcylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube fornormally closing communication between said source of compressed air andthe inner cylinder, connections between said cylinders for leading thepressure therefrom alternately to one another, and mechanism operated bythe carrier leaving the terminal for operating said valve to open theinner gate and close the outer gate.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, aterminal communicating with said tube, an inner gate and an outer gateclosing the terminal, an inner and an outer cylinder each having apiston connected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operatingthe piston to close the gates, communication between said cylinders andsaid source of air-pressure,'a valve for opening and closing saidcommunication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by thepressure in the tube for normally closing communication between saidsource of compressed air and the inner cylinder, mechanism operated byair compressed by the carrier for operating said valve to opencommunication between said source of compressed air and the innercylinder t0 close the inner gate and to close communication between saidsource of compressed air and the outer cylinder, and connections betweenthe inner and the outer cylinders for leading the pressure alternatelyfrom one cylinder to another for alternately opening said gates.'

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of May, A. D. 1903.

CHARLES F. sToDDARD.

Witnesses:

A. L. MESSER, A. R. LARRABEE.

